Distance Sensor Light Guide Angled Path Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional distance measurement systems require multiple sensors for spatially separate objects, leading to increased costs and complexity, especially when monitoring large or hard-to-access areas, as each sensor needs to be positioned directly at the measurement location and suffers from scattering losses.
Innovation Solution
A sensor apparatus using light guide means to transmit and receive light on an angled or curved path, allowing a single transmitter and receiver setup to monitor multiple areas with reduced component requirements, enabling distance measurement without direct sensor placement and minimizing scattering losses through fiber optic light guides and optical elements for alignment and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple distance sensors are deployed for spatially separate objects, then measurement coverage is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring area is divided into multiple spatially separate zones, each served by a single sensor apparatus that uses light guide means to reach different target locations. This segmentation allows one sensor to monitor multiple areas without requiring multiple separate sensors at each location.
Solution Approach 2:
Light guide means (optical fibers or optical waveguides) are introduced as intermediary elements to transmit light between the sensor apparatus and spatially separate monitored areas. These light guides enable the single sensor to illuminate and detect from multiple locations without direct sensor placement at each site.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are positioned directly at measurement locations, then measurement accuracy is improved, but ease of operation and installation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Light guide means serve as intermediaries that decouple the sensor apparatus from the monitored locations. The sensor can be positioned at a convenient central location while light guides extend to reach distant or hard-to-access target areas, maintaining measurement accuracy without requiring sensor placement at each measurement point.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a one-to-one mapping (sensor at each location) to a one-to-many mapping (single sensor accessing multiple locations via light guides). This dimensional change in the sensor-coverage relationship allows the sensor to be physically separated from the monitored areas while maintaining measurement capability.
3Device complexity
If direct light transmission is used for monitoring large areas, then device complexity is reduced, but light intensity and signal strength deteriorate due to scattering losses
Solution Approach 1:
Light guide means are introduced as intermediary transmission media that channel light from the sensor apparatus to distant monitored areas with minimal scattering losses. These optical waveguides or fibers maintain light intensity over long distances through total internal reflection, overcoming the attenuation that would occur in direct free-space transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transmission parameter from free-space optical propagation to guided optical propagation. By confining light within the light guide means, the system exploits total internal reflection to maintain light intensity and directionality, significantly reducing scattering losses compared to direct transmission over large distances.
4Reliability
If multiple separate sensor apparatus are used for different monitored areas, then measurement independence is improved, but cost and component requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single sensor apparatus is designed with multi-functionality to monitor multiple spatially separate areas. The same sensor unit, equipped with light guide means, can detect distances to different objects in different locations, eliminating the need for multiple separate sensor apparatus and reducing the quantity of expensive components like TOF chips and microcontrollers.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple monitoring functions that would traditionally require separate sensor apparatus are merged into a single sensor unit. By combining the light source, receiver, and light guide means system, the patent achieves multiple measurement capabilities from one integrated device, reducing overall system complexity and component count.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for cost-effective, efficient distance measurement across multiple separate areas with high light intensity and reduced losses, enabling monitoring of both large and difficult-to-access spaces with a single set of expensive components, such as TOF chips and microcontrollers, and facilitates product identification through color evaluation.
Implementation Method 1
there is a multiple total reflection of the light signal at the outer boundary surface of a glass fiber, for example upon bending of the glass fiber
Implementation Method 2
a reflection can comprise a specular reflection and/or a reflection by total reflection
Implementation Method 3
The distance measurement can, for example, be performed by evaluating a flight time of the light
Implementation Method 4
a phase of an oscillation modulated onto the light
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor apparatus comprising a distance sensor comprising a transmitting device having at least one transmitter with a light source, and a receiving device having at least one receiver, and an electronic unit. The electronic unit being designed to emit light by means of the transmitter and to determine a distance which is covered by light emitted by the transmitter from a reflection surface of an object in a monitored area to the respective receiver. According to the invention, light guide means for transmission of light are arranged between the transmitting device and the monitored area and/or between the monitored area and the receiving device. The light guide means reflects the light at least once so that light can pass from the transmitting device to the monitored area and/or from the monitored area to the receiving device on an angled path.